Container and means for holding said containers in cooperation



CONTAINER AND MEANS FOR HOLDING sun CONTAINERS IN COOPERATION Dec. 9, 1930. L. J. FAIRBANKS Filed March 19, 1927 INVENTOR: gale (I A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 9, 1930 v PATENT OFFICE LUKE J. FAIRBANKS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA CONTAINER AND MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID CONTAINERS IN COOPERATION Application'flled lfiarch l8, 1927. Serial No. 176,662.

This invention relates to containers and means for holding the said containers in cooperation.

An object of the invention is to hold two a dishes, the rims of which are of like diameter, in cooperative relation, and in such a manner that foodstufls'may be contained in either or both of the dishes without an danger of spilling and regardless of roug treatment. Another object is the provision of a device which is particularly adaptable for salesmens use, in that one of the dishes ma carry the particular commodit handled y the salesman, and the other ish, when released from the first dish, may hold other goods or commodities tor the purpose of making comparisons between the commodities.

Another object is the provision of a device of the character stated which will hold two dishes or the like in close cooperative relation, so that the contents of said dishes cannot be spilled, and in such a manner that the air within the dishes is not compressed, whereby the liability of leakage is in a measure overcome.

Other objects include a device which is sim ple of structure,-economical of manufacture, and generally superior in use and service.

With the above and other objects in view,

80 the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in certain em bodiments in the accompanying drawing, de-

scribed generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

7 In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of two dishes and means for holding the dishes in cooperative relation 1 Figure 2is a vertical sectional view of the dishes, and holding means, shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the showing of Fig. 1, with the holding means released;

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the inven tion;

Figure 5 is an elevation of one of the pans or dishes;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary and cross-sec- 5Q tional view of two of the dishes or pans and a asket; and

igure 7 is a yiew similar to Fig. 6, and showing the pans in cooperation with the gasket and the holding means.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the same reference characters.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, the improved device shown in Fig. 1 is designated as an entirety by A, and the same includes two pans or dishes (1 and b, the rims of which are of like diameter, and in each instance the rim is curved as shown at 1 and 2. The ans may have diflerent depths, as indicated in Fig. 4, the pan c having a as depth equal to the pan a. In other words, to form the device I use two pans, one of which pans is inverted upon the other of said pans, so that the rims are adjacent or in cooperation. I likewise provide a gasket 0? adapted 7o to be received between the r1ms of said pans. This gasket is so formed as to be carried by the rim of one of said pans, for instance, the pan 6, as shown in Fig. 6. The gasket 01 is annular in form, and provided with a curved annular slot 3, adapted to receive the curved rim 1. lhe base of said gasket is formed with an annular concavity 4. It will thus be seen that the portion 5 of the gasket between the slot 3 and the concavity 4 is substantially to wedge shape, the thickest portion of said wedge lyingoutwardly from the rim of the pan or dish, and the thinner portion a proaching the inner confines of the dis When the two dishes (1 and t are placed together, 1t will be seen that the concavity/'4 acts as a cap to center the rim of the dish-w, and that the thinnest portion of the wedgelike part of the gasket is received within the two r1ms. In order to secure the two dishes portions 14 and 15, having inwardly clasp 18. The clasp 18 is provided with a plate 19, which is formed with openings adapted to receive the ends 16 and 17. It is to be noted that this plate 19 is located between the ends of the clasp, and one end of said clasp is provided with a pin 20. In this connection it is to be noted that the said clasp includes a plate havin two side walls 21 and 22, and an interme iate connecting wall 23, this-connecting wall 23 being curved, so as to correspond to the curvature of the periphery of the rim of the dishes. Furthermore, the said pin 20 is received between the sides 21 and 22.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assume that the pans a and b are used, and that the pan 6 is carrying the gasket d.

holding means 6 may then be a justed so as to hold the two pans in coo erative relation.

This is done by passing the and around the gasket in the manner shown in Fig. 3, wherein it will. be seen that the U-shaped members 7 straddle the gasket and the rims of the pans.

The band is pressed inwardlyso that the pin .gether furnishes two dishes and Still -vides for the'commodity. Roast chicken may-.

clasp 18 the band is caused to engage the outer be curled by my mventlon by provldmg two face 24 of the gasket. Inasmuch as the gasket 20 may engage one of the serrations or hooks 10 of the member 9, and upon depressing the is so constructed as to have a portion extendmg outwardly from the rims of the respective pans, as shown at 25, this locking of the band will tend to force the wedge portion .of the gasket between the rims of the pans. In

' a measure this willtend to separate the pans slightly, and the separation of the pans will not cause compression of the air within the pans, with the result that there isless' likeli- I hood of any commodity therein leaking asbetween the gasket and the rims of the respective pans. It can be readily seenthat the claspin cooperation withthe member .9 is cam-hke in action, in that when the plate of the clasp is pushed downwardly so as to lie adjacent the band 6, that the diameter of the' band is lessened. In this manner the degree of tightness of the engagement of the band with the gasket may be regulated. One of the important features of this invention is the fact that the wedgeportion of the gasket is forced between the rims of the respective pans or dishes.

Any desired pan or dish might be used; the

The other pan 6 is then looked to the pan a.

Upon reaching a; bu er, or a grocer store, the pans are release and he shows t e contents tothe grocer. The grocer is permitted to sample one of the peaches, 'and if he -remarks that the are not superior toany other brandv of peac es that 'he now carries, the salesman may ask-the grocer to open a can of the other brand of peaches and place them in the dish 6 for the (purpose of comparison...

After this has been one the salesman may' cover the pan a with another pan, or the pan c, .and he may journey to another'grocer or buyer and allow him to sample the peaches.

As frequent sam lings would ossibly B m y n' a the appearance 0 the-contents, another can of peaches and place them in the dish (1. Thus an actual savmg results, m

that the salesman does not have to carryolie can the contents of which have heentpa'rtly.

When the two pans are in coo eration the :used and then open a new Wi this" methodthe commodity is presented in its most attractive form.

The invention is likewise useful for picnics,

in that the different commoditiesfimay. e;

placed in the pans, and when the to removed it can be used as .a' dish, so t at each set or pair of pans that have been locked topans'of prop'er depth'locked together.. It is also evident that the as'ket acts as a contimi'ati'on for one ofthe dishes, and functionsas a cover for the rim .Of the other dish. It is perhaps unnecessary to state thatthe "portion 26 of the band is pressed against the outer face oflthe gasket, andthe position of e between the member 9 the mem- -ber 7. i

It is obvious that various'changes and ifications andvariatlons may be madeiin prac-g' tising the invention in departure fromfthe particular showin without. departing from the true spirit oft e'invention. I-Iavin thus disclosed m invention, '1 claim an desire to secure by r tters Patent :5 1. Means of the character disclosed,'inclu d-' ing a pan formed with a curved rim, an annular'gasket, provided with a slotted portion to receive said curved rim, said gasketbei ljlg I.

provided with an annular "concavity-Tan an formed with a rim,.a gasket se- 4/ he has signed his 

